Russ Guffey Wins Hopkinsville Mayor's Race

The Republican defeated two challengers in unofficial returns and will begin a transition process with the city on Wednesday.

Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in City Hall

Photograph of a modest brick municipal building with tall windows and a flagpole on a quiet tree-lined street, under warm late-afternoon light. — Republican Russ Guffey won Hopkinsville's mayoral race with 53 percent of the vote in unofficial returns and will begin a city transition on Wednesday. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Live Poll

Do you trust Hopkinsville's local government to serve residents well?

Russ Guffey won the Hopkinsville mayor's race in a three-way election, receiving 4,037 votes, or 53 percent, according to unofficial returns. He plans to begin a transition process with the city beginning Wednesday.

Why it matters

Guffey's win gives him the mayoralty after a contested campaign in which he defeated incumbent J.R. Knight in the Republican primary. His early transition effort signals a plan to gather resident concerns and share city plans with the public.

Unofficial returns show Guffey with 4,037 votes (53 percent) against 2,550 for Wilkerson (34 percent) and 984 for Vansauwa (13 percent), a margin of 1,487 votes over Wilkerson. The figures are unofficial, and certification is not addressed in the source.

The players

Russ Guffey

Russ Guffey is a Republican who won the Hopkinsville mayoral race in 2026 after defeating incumbent Mayor J.R. Knight in the party primary.

J.R. Knight

J.R. Knight is the incumbent mayor of Hopkinsville whom Guffey defeated by 180 votes in the Republican primary.

The details

Guffey, a Republican, conducted door-to-door canvassing to speak with residents about their neighborhoods and kept notes on his phone documenting concerns ranging from potholes to taxes. He will begin the transition process Wednesday rather than waiting until January, aiming to understand city operations and long-term needs before sharing that information with the public.

Tuesday, November 3, 2026: Election day, when Guffey won the three-way mayoral race.
Wednesday, November 4, 2026: Guffey's transition process with the city begins.
January: The point at which the transition would originally have started.

Political Context

Guffey's narrow primary win over Knight by 180 votes set up a general election he went on to win by a wider margin against two challengers. His resident-focused canvassing and early transition plan are presented as a departure from waiting until the traditional January start.

Hopkinsville residents who raised concerns about potholes and taxes may see those issues addressed as Guffey begins the transition and shares city plans with the public. The early start means city operations could shift sooner than the January timeline would have allowed.

The takeaway

Guffey's decision to start the transition in November rather than January shows how a new mayor can use the gap between election and inauguration to gather resident input. Residents who want to influence city priorities can follow the transition process as it unfolds.